Scars
by tbka
Summary: .::.One Shot.::. Sakura never knew how many scars marred the body of her former sensei. She would’ve never guessed and she really could’ve lived her whole life never knowing. But sadly, fate didn’t want her to live her life in the bliss of ignorance.


**Scars**

_**Summary:**__ .::.One Shot.::. Sakura never knew how many scars marred the body of her former sensei. She would've never guessed and she really could've lived her whole life never knowing. But sadly, fate didn't want her to live her life in the bliss of ignorance._

_**Genre:**__ Drama/Tragedy… I guess. \/shrugs/\  
_

_**Rating:**__ K+_

_**Author's Note:**__ Just a one shot. The plot bunny attacked me and wouldn't leave me alone. Takes place during the Time Skip. Is __**not **__part of The Kakashi Chronicles._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Naruto. Don't sue me. Blah blah blah._

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Sakura never knew how many scars marred the body of her former sensei; of Hatake Kakashi. She would've never guessed and she really could've lived her whole life never knowing. But sadly, fate didn't want her to live her life in the bliss of ignorance.

No... it just so happened to be that she was the medic-nin in charge the night Kakashi came in from his last mission looking like he had taken a bath in blood. He was so soaked with the sticky, red, life-giving substance that she can't even tell were his injuries are or how serious they might be.

All she could see was the exhaustion, to the point of collapsing, in his eyes and how the Sharingan eye was dull, faded, and not quite as red as it should be -- as it's meant to be. And that concerned her beyond belief.

Within seconds she sprang into motion and had Kakashi in his own room with his shirt off; searching for a wound she hopes she wouldn't find and desperately trying to ignore the fact that this was her former sensei.

She cringed at the gaping hole in his abdomen where she knew their should be skin, muscles, and organs but instead their is only blood clots and black _things_ that might've at one time been body parts. She can't help noticing the scars that cover his chest; some ragged and distorted, others round and circular, and some long and thin. She can place the shapes of some -- cigarette burns, kunai stabs, whiplashes -- others where so irregular and jagged that she can only imagine what objects and weapons created them.

She calls for nurses and supplies as Kakashi stares at her with lifeless, dull eyes – eyes that she knows aren't registering what's happening around him. In an uncharacteristic sense of panic Sakura realizes that she hasn't checked the rest of his body for any injuries. Within seconds she has his pants off, desperately trying to block out the knowledge that this is _Kakashi-sensei _she's working on, and has checked all of his lower body for any serious injuries.

The pink-haired medic-nin finds that his right knee has been dislocated but pushed back into place. She makes a mental note to splint up that leg later but for the time being she can ignore that injury. She finishes the rest of the body scan to find no other serious injuries and she sighs with relief.

Returning her attention to the injury on his abdomen she gently pushes him down so that his laying on the metal examination table. She thanks God, or whatever higher power is listening to her, that the wound didn't pierce through his whole body.

Finally the nurses enter the room with the requested materials but Sakura is already hard at work forcing chakra into the injury. However, she finds that this wound may be beyond her abilities and she quickly barks at one of the nurses to fetch Tsunade immediately.

Sakura can feel the poison pulsating through Kakashi's body and shivers – this is so far beyond her skill that there's not really anything she can do to help except desperately try to stop the bleeding.

She turns to yell at one of the other nurses to go get some type O blood from the storage room because she knows that Kakashi's going to need it. Her breathing is now coming in fast and ragged hitches because she's starting to have a panic attack. If Tsunade doesn't come soon then she knows that Kakashi will die.

She braves a glance up to his face and sees that his eyes are still open with that look of foggy awareness. The red-colour of the Sharingan eye is almost completely gone and Sakura's heart skips a few beats.

He blinks and Sakura swears his eyes turn to focus on her. She gulps and prays that he doesn't attempt to speak.

And it's at this moment that she realizes that she's left his mask on. Why? Has she been conditioned to not see his face? Is it because of respect? She can't say for she doesn't know the reason why.

But she does know that she's going to flip out at someone soon if Tsunade doesn't get here within the next few minutes.

"Where is she?" Sakura mutters to herself as the nurse from earlier comes back with the blood that was requested.

Sakura instructs the nurse to set up the IV line because she can't do it herself. She's afraid that if she moves her hands and stops her flow of chakra that the wound will bleed out too fast for them to get back under control. However, she does have a safety net in the fact that she also has type O blood – and should it come to such drastic measures Sakura is fully prepared to donate her own blood to save Kakashi.

The door barges open and the Fifth Hokage enters. Within seconds she is by Sakura's side examining the wound.

"There is nothing I can do except stop the bleeding," Sakura admits, "This is far beyond my skill and training."

Tsunade nods and slowly replaces Sakura's hands with her own. The pink-haired Chunin stands to the side; out of the way but yet still close enough to be easily called on for aid.

"Nurse!" Tsunade barks out, "Call for Asuma… I fear we shall need more blood."

"There's no need," Sakura interjects, "I can donate blood if it comes to that."

"No." Tsunade shakes her head. "I will not risk putting your blood in his body… just as I will not risk putting the storage type O blood in his body.

"But why?"

Tsunade's brow furrows in concentration and she doesn't reply for quite some time. Eventually she says: "Kakashi has a very… how should I say this? … fussy body. Asuma has donated blood to him many times before and I wish to keep as many circumstances the same when it comes to treating Kakashi. One day I will tell you why but for now be content with my word."

Sakura nods and leans in a little to see exactly what it is that Tsunade is doing. Unfortunately the blood that still slowly seeps from the wound makes it hard to see and the Hokage sends a warning glare at her apprentice – making sure that the young medic-nin doesn't get too close.

Sakura stands in silence, leaning against the back wall, for many hours watching as Tsunade – joined now by Shizune – try desperately to save the dieing Kakashi. She helps when called for; fetching supplies, looking up information, and even being the one to draw the needed blood from Asuma.

Tsunade finally steps back with a sigh, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"He's stable… he'll be fine," she whispers for Sakura's benefit.

They had put him to sleep many hours ago but Tsunade checks his eyes to make sure that the drugs have not worn off. It also pleases her to see that the Sharingan eye has begun to return to the bright red colour that is characteristic of it.

"Sakura; stitch him up, bandage him, and get him transferred to the ICU," Tsunade orders, "I'm going to clean up."

Sakura nods and moves to the cupboard to get the supplies she needs. Forty-two silent stitches later the wound is closed up and the pink-haired medic-nin breaths a sigh of relief to know that disaster was avoided and that this event is finally over.

She takes a step back and stares quietly at Kakashi – figuring out how she's going to bandage the wound. After a few moments she collects the needed supplies and settles for just lifting Kakashi up into a somewhat seated position. As she wraps the bandages completely around his abdomen she can't help but notice the large, thin scars that decorate his back. Scars upon scars upon scars. She knows they're from whiplashes and she cringes at the thought of the torture Kakashi must've at one point endured in his life.

Sakura never knew just how much Kakashi has gone through for this village. But the scars on his body tell the story and she dearly wishes she had never seen them. She doesn't like to think of what Kakashi's been through. Oh, it's not like she's been blind to it all. She's heard stories, everyone has. Kakashi's pretty much a living legend. But Sakura's always made it a point to ignore the stories as much as she can – or just chalk them up to being only stories and nothing more.

But it's hard for her to do that when she faced with such a startling truth as these scars.

The young medic-nin sighs as she finishes bandaging the wound and lays her former sensei back down. A few minutes later she has his dislocated knee in a splint and calls in a couple nurses. Together they carefully push the gurney up to the ICU where they transfer the unconscious Shinobi into one of the empty beds. A nurse dresses him in clean clothes and Sakura hooks up the monitoring machines. She pulls the covers up and removes his mask just enough to get an oxygen tube in his nose.

Satisfied she leaves to tell Asuma, and who ever else might be waiting, that Kakashi will make it and that they can visit him now.

After speaking to Kakashi's worried friends Sakura takes her leave and returns home to shower and go to sleep. Her mom nearly freaks when she sees Sakura's blood-stained clothes but the medic-nin offers no explanation and simply says she's fine, she's tired, and she's going to bed.

But sleep doesn't come easily to the young kunoichi as she can't shake the image of Kakashi's scarred body from her mind. So many scars, so many stories, so much pain.

So many sacrifices.


End file.
